1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a tag label producing apparatus that produces RFID labels comprising RFID circuit elements capable of transmitting and receiving information through wireless communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems that perform reading/writing between a compact RFID tag and a reader/writer (reading/writing apparatus) in a non-contact manner are known. For example, an RFID circuit element provided to a label-shaped RFID tag (RFID label) comprises an IC circuit part that stores predetermined RFID tag information, and a tag antenna that is connected to the IC circuit part and transmits and receives information. With such an arrangement, the reader/writer can access (read/write) the RFID tag information in the IC circuit part even if the RFID tag has become dirty or is arranged in a position where it cannot be seen. Such a technique has been put into practical use in a variety of fields such as asset management, office document control, breast pocket area nametags, and the like.
One such tag label producing apparatus configured to produce an RFID label having the above various usages is the apparatus described in JP, A, 2006-309557, for example. With a tag label producing apparatus according to this prior art, a tag tape in which RFID circuit elements are disposed in a tape-length direction at substantially equal intervals is wound in a roll shape and loaded. The tag tape is transported from the tag tape roll via feeding roller and is bonded by a pressure roller with a print-receiving tape on which desired printing is performed by printing device, thereby forming a tag label tape with print. Alternately, if no bonding is performed, printing is performed by the printing device onto the tag tape comprising the RFID circuit elements, thus forming the tag label tape with print. After information transmission/reception is performed with the RFID circuit elements provided to the tag label tape with print, the tag label tape with print is cut to a desired length, thus RFID labels with print are continuously produced.
As shown in the prior art, in general with a tag label producing apparatus, a pressing force acts upon the tag tape comprising the RFID circuit elements by the feeding rollers, pressure rollers, and so on when transporting the tape and so on. When printing on the tag tape with the printing device, pressing force acts upon the tag tape by a platen roller disposed opposite a print head, which is the printing device.
Accordingly, in the RFID circuit elements provided to the tag tape, the IC circuit part and the tag antenna are ordinarily joined as described above. When the pressing force of the rollers acts upon the contact point where they are joined, the contact point is also pressed and endures pressure during the short time of the pressing. After passing the rollers and the pressing force no longer acts upon it, the contact point is released from the pressure, and returns to its original shape gradually because of its inherent elastic restoring force and the like. Before wireless communication is performed, if sufficient time has passed after the last time when the roller (nearest roller) has passed through, the contact has returned to its original shape because of its restoring force and so on. However, in a case in which wireless communication is performed before sufficient time has passed since passing through the nearest roller, the effects of the pressing force on the contact of the RFID circuit element have not disappeared, and there is a risk of a drop in reliability and stability of communication due to some kind of residual effects on the communication characteristics. With the prior art described above, particularly little consideration has been given to the adverse effects by the pressing force on the communication characteristics of the RFID circuit elements during tag label production in this way.